SUBSCRIBE TO TMCnet
TMCnet - World's Largest Communications and Technology Community

CHANNEL BY TOPICS


QUICK LINKS




Employee Use Demands Mobile Device Management

TMCnews


TMCnews Featured Article


September 08, 2011

Employee Use Demands Mobile Device Management

By Susan J. Campbell, TMCnet Contributing Editor


The virtualization of today’s workforce is driving the increased use of mobile devices to access corporate networks, browse the Web and conduct critical communications. With this increase in mobility, it is imperative that the corporate communications manager implement a mobile device management strategy.



This recent Search Networking piece in Tech Target (News - Alert) is focused on the increasing need for mobile device management as the number of employees who are bringing their own devices to the workplace continues to grow at a rapid pace. These growing demands are shining a light on policies for the wireless LAN, mobility and network access control. 

Jared Griffith, CTO of Cinergy Wi-Fi, a Utah-based systems integrator that partners with wireless LAN vendors Ruckus Wireless and Aerohive (News - Alert), told Tech Target that over the last year the bring your own device phenomenon has truly skyrocketed. Requests are now streaming in from users who are bringing devices to the network so quickly that the corporation cannot afford to fully support them, introducing a new dynamic to mobile device management. 

With bring your own device (BYOD) programs, companies can actually lower their mobility costs, while also enabling employees to be more flexible and more productive. The key is to implement mobile device management strategies that actually support such initiatives. Employees for the state of West Virginia are finding out how useful such a strategy can be for their own environment. 

According to Kyle Schafer, CTO for the state of West Virginia, it is very costly to purchase the smartphones and other devices employees are bringing to work. There are also some employees that already have two devices, simply because they are not allowed to use their state device for personal use. By deploying a mobile device management strategy that allows them to bring in their own device, this limitation is eliminated and flexibility is greatly increased. 

To support a BYOD environment, the corporation or small business needs to implement a mobile device management strategy that allows for the building of a stable and secure network to support such devices. This can be a challenge as users may access different applications or platforms with their devices, some of which can use considerable bandwidth. 

The goal of the mobile device management strategy is to protect mission-critical applications, which can be enabled through wireless LAN engineering. The network must be built based on the applications that are going to be on the network and not for coverage. If the network is built for coverage, it can immediately slow down when too many devices are added, even risking a complete network crash. 

Allowing employees to bring their own devices can be an appropriate approach to mobile device management, as long as you have the right network, controls and policies in place. Make sure your employees understand what is acceptable and what could limit their freedom on the network. Be willing to adapt and change over time as the technology continues to improve and your users will continue to explore additional options.

Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO West 2011, taking place Sept. 13-15, 2011, in Austin, Texas. ITEXPO (News - Alert) offers an educational program to help corporate decision makers select the right IP-based voice, video, fax and unified communications solutions to improve their operations. It's also where service providers learn how to profitably roll out the services their subscribers are clamoring for – and where resellers can learn about new growth opportunities. To register, click here.


Susan J. Campbell is a contributing editor for TMCnet and has also written for eastbiz.com. To read more of Susan’s articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Jamie Epstein







Technology Marketing Corporation

2 Trap Falls Road Suite 106, Shelton, CT 06484 USA
Ph: +1-203-852-6800, 800-243-6002

General comments: [email protected].
Comments about this site: [email protected].

STAY CURRENT YOUR WAY

© 2024 Technology Marketing Corporation. All rights reserved | Privacy Policy